Coffee Industry Helps Propel Agriculture in Hawai`i
Lt. Governor Aiona demonstrated the Administration's continued support for coffee farmers last weekend in Kona, where he highlighted their importance to agriculture in Hawai`i.
The Lt. Governor greets David Gridly of the Maui Oma Coffee Roasting Co. during the Hawai`i Coffee Association Conference
Speaking at the Hawai‘i Coffee Association Conference on the Big Island, the Lt. Governor told more than 150 industry representatives of the state’s commitment to support Hawai‘i-grown coffee, the fifth-ranked agricultural crop produced in Hawai‘i, behind macadamia nuts, sugar cane, pineapples and seawater crops.
The coffee industry accounts for less than 1 percent of total acres used for agriculture in Hawai‘i, yet coffee represents about 8.1 percent of annual agricultural sales in Hawai‘i, generating more than $37 million.
Out of 1.3 million total acres of agriculture in the state, 8,000 acres are used to grow coffee
“Our Administration recognizes that the coffee industry is a lucrative corner of agriculture in our state,” Lt. Governor Aiona said. “I firmly believe that diversified agriculture is an important component of our state’s overall economy.”
“We must support Hawai‘i farmers by providing them with the means to remain economically viable, particularly in our small, rural communities,” he added. “And we are committed to helping the coffee industry prosper in Hawai‘i.”
